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March 11, 2026
The majority of aircraft engineers and mechanics currently working in Guyana have been trained locally at the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School, highlighting the institution’s long-standing role in supporting the country’s aviation sector.
The point was underscored during the commissioning of the school’s new premises at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, where Education Minister Sonia Parag delivered the feature address.
Chairman of the school, Capt. Paul Ronald Reece, said the institution was established in 1993 to address a severe shortage of aircraft engineers in Guyana during the late 1970s and 1980s, when aviation activity across the country’s hinterland was expanding.
“In the late ’70s and ’80s there were only three licensed aircraft engineers on the airstrip to service five aircraft. There was an obvious need to start training local aircraft mechanics and engineers because the workload was simply too much,” Reece said.
He said the creation of the school helped to build a sustainable local workforce for the aviation industry.
“Currently, over 95 per cent of all the engineers and mechanics in Guyana have passed through the school,” Reece noted.
General Manager Nalini Chanderban said the institution has maintained its relevance by continuously adapting its programmes to meet the evolving needs of the aviation industry.
“Our students are not trained only in a classroom,” Chanderban said. “It is knowledge, skills and attitude. They complete thousands of practical hours and go directly into the industry,” the general manager said.
She added that graduates have gone on to work across the Caribbean and have participated in major aircraft maintenance projects as part of their training.
“We’ve been doing it right and adapting as the sectors demand, including oil and gas,” Chanderban said.
In her feature address, Parag said the institution represents the type of specialised technical training Guyana must continue to expand as the country develops its skilled workforce.
The minister noted that she had a personal connection to the school even before assuming her current role.
“My nephew is a product of this institution, from before I became a minister,” she said.
Parag also recalled that while serving in the public service, the ministry received numerous applications from prospective students seeking scholarships to attend the aeronautical engineering school.
“When I saw the number of applications, I realised we had to make space to grant some of these scholarships,” she said, noting that many applicants came from families of modest means.
She emphasised that expanding opportunities for technical and vocational education remains critical to strengthening Guyana’s human capital, particularly in specialised sectors such as aviation.
The continued growth of the institution reflects the increasing importance of aviation in supporting economic activity across Guyana, including transportation to hinterland communities and operations linked to mining and other industries.
